Review: Hy's Steakhouse - Waikiki

Now that I've had my fill of over-rated, trendy new restaurants that seem to come and go with the wind, I was happy to learn that Hy's Steakhouse is still doing what they do best. My husband and I had dinner there to celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary last month. I haven't thought about Hy's in years but when I found out that they still serve Beef Wellington, I was eager to return. The waiters still wear tuxedos and the warm wood decor and plush seating welcomed us back. We were seated in one of the corner booths where we could see the entire room. The hostess said it was one of the best tables in the house. Audy Kimura entertained us with his timeless, relaxing guitar music just as he did when we dined at Hy's for our first anniversary back in 1983. It was so nostalgic.

We started the meal by sharing an order of Escargot ala Hy's. It was prepared the traditional way (garlic butter) and served with bread. My husband ordered the Onion Soup Gratinee which I helped finish after he ate all of the rich cheese on top. For our entrees, he had the 14 oz boneless rib eye steak (Delmonico) which came with delicious whipped garlic mashed potatoes. I ordered the Beef Wellington, of course, accompanied by a baked potato with all of the decadent toppings (butter, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives)! My first bite did not disappoint. The puff pastry shell was light and crispy while the beef tenderloin was perfectly cooked and so tender. Let's not forget the delicious pate/mushroom layer in between. My mouth is watering as I type this post!

We were pleased with not only the classic preparation of our delicious meal but also the classic-size portions. I cut my Wellington right down the middle and took half home for dinner the next day. My husband did the same with his steak. The only thing that was a little disappointing was the Cheese Bread. Thirty years ago, they served it with a savory garlicky bread. Perhaps my taste buds have changed over the years but I didn't find it to be as special as I remembered.

For dessert, we were treated to a piece of cheesecake which we took home for our daughter. I was looking forward to having Cherries Jubilee instead. Our dessert was prepared for us tableside by Marc, the assistant manager. When our dish was ready, he carefully served the fat cherries and warm sauce over vanilla ice cream. It was a large serving. I think I counted 10 cherries in my serving alone. I'm not sure because I was too busy enjoying my dessert.

Although we dined on a Thursday, the restaurant was packed. Despite having many tables, our friendly waiter, Chris, provided excellent service. Coincidentally, we discovered at the end of our meal that we know Chris' father. What a small world!

The only minor drawback is the restroom is located in the lobby of the hotel instead of in the restaurant. On the plus side, the valet parking was free. Our entire bill for this wonderful dinner (with leftovers for a second meal) was less than $200. I highly recommend Hy's Steakhouse for your next special occasion!

Hy's Steakhouse

2440 Kuhio Avenue

Honolulu, HI 96815

Ph: (808) 922-5555

www.hyshawaii.com

Onion Soup Gratinee

Beef Wellington with baked potato and all the toppings

Complementary cheesecake

The preparation of a classic dessert - Cherries Jubilee

Yummy!

Spicy Ahi Plate at Sushi & Bibimbap

I did a review last year on the yummy bibimbap at Sushi & Bibimbap on Merchant Street in downtown Honolulu. I am happy to share that they also make a kicking Spicy Ahi Plate! For less than $9, the plate is comprised of a large serving of spicy ahi in a creamy sauce with tobiko (tiny orange roe) and green onions over good quality white rice

As you can see from the photo, it came with a small salad, pickled ginger, and wasabi. Not shown in the photo is the complementary cup of miso soup that comes with all of their plates. I'm glad I didn't add the wasabi because my ears and lower eyelids started to tingle after eating about half of my meal! I don't usually order "spicy" from Korean restaurants because I'm such a wimp when it comes to hot food. However, if you are looking for spicy, fresh raw ahi with a creamy sauce, this will satisfy!

I'm taking a break as I write this post to allow the warm, burning sensation that is creeping up to my eyes to dissapate before I attempt to finish my lunch. The burn comes on gradually and you don't realize how spicy the food is at first. Check out my original review of Sushi & Bibimbap posted in May of 2013.

L

Pork Guisantes

1-2 lbs pork chops, sliced into 1/2 x 2" pieces

1 Tbs oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup round onion, chopped

8 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 cup pimentos (jar, drained)

1 cup frozen peas

15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained

2 bay leaves

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Water

1. Heat oil and saute garlic and onions.

2. Add pork and brown all sides.

3. Add tomato sauce and one can full of water to cover the meat. 

4. Add peas, garbanzo beans, bay leaves, soy sauce, pimentos, vinegar, and cinnamon.

5. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the pork is tender. 

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings

Mochi Pounding - A New Year Tradition

Pounding steamed mochi rice into a sticky dough to form delectable little "cakes" is a New Year tradition in the Japanese culture. The stickiness of the rice symbolizes binding the family together.

When I was growing up, our longtime neighbor, the Hayashi's, pounded mochi every New Year. I used to watch them from my kitchen window as their extended family members took turns pounding the hot rice into a sticky dough. They did it the traditional way, with two men pounding the rice with heavy wooden mallets while a third man risked his life by diving in between poundings to turn the mixture with his bare hand.

Once the mochi was pounded and formed into individual servings, one of the Hayashi's daughters would bring over a plate of warm mochi cakes filled with 'anko' (sweet red bean paste). I regret that I never appreciated their efforts and usually didn't eat my share.

Today, not many people pound their own mochi to welcome in the New Year. It is a labor of love for those blessed with a strong sense of tradition as well as a strong back! Thank goodness that our friends, Gail and Gordon, continue to keep this tradition alive with the help of their many friends and extended family. We dropped in on the fun today for the first time.

Our gracious hosts, Gail and Gordon

Pounding steamed mochi rice with a heavy wooden mallet in an 'usu' (stone bowl) . . . 

. . . . Requires team work, coordination, and strength.
Here are two pounders spreading the mochi rice around just before pounding it into a sticky dough.

Here is my husband giving it a try. Outside of the photo is our friend, Elias, who is waiting his turn to pound the mixture in turn with my husband. When one mallet goes up, the other comes crashing down.

Neal showed me how to form the warm mochi dough into individual "cakes."
This was traditionally "women's work," but no longer.

After dividing the large slab of dough into smaller pieces . . .

. . . flatten the dough with your fingers . . .

. . . then pinch the dough back together to form a round, flat ball.

This is what you get after rolling the ball between both hands.

Fillings are sometimes added before pinching the dough closed. Our options today were chocolate mocha, peanut butter, or 'anko' (sweet red bean paste). Some of the balls were left plain to be added to 'Ozoni" (mochi soup traditionally served during the new year). Others without filling were rolled in 'kinako' (sweetened soybean powder). Yum!

Here I am working between the #1 and #2 Mochi Making Experts - Gail's mom and Neal.
I am filling my mochi with anko.

The finished product!

Mochi with anko filling

Review: Marukame Udon - Downtown Location

Marukame Udon was recommended by one of my former classmates via Facebook. I never heard of this establishment until I read his post recommending their Paitan Udon. The "new" Marukame Udon (the old one is in Waikiki) is located at the corner of Fort Street Mall and Hotel Street in downtown Honolulu. 

My husband and I made a special trip downtown on a Saturday to see what all the fuss was about. We parked our car in a municipal parking lot across the street from the former Macy's store and walked a few short blocks to the restaurant. I stood in line to order our food while my husband hunted for a table. I was intrigued as I watched the udon noodles being made behind a glass partition at the entrance of this cafeteria-style restaurant.

I ordered Paitan Udon ($4.30) while my husband selected Chicken Udon ($4.30). Our orders consisted of fresh udon in a seemingly plain broth. Both green onions and tempura bits were offered to top our lunch at no extra charge. The real danger came next as I ventured down the line and looked at the dozen or so varieties of freshly made tempura. The shrimp ($1.70) and fishcake ($1.50) tempura are the most expensive with the vegetable variety being a bit cheaper, which includes sweet potato, kabocha, asparagus, onion, etc. I selected fishcake tempura, a fried chicken thigh ($1.90) and potato croquette ($.90) to share with my husband. There was also a tempting selection of freshly-made musubi (rice balls wrapped in thin sheets of nori) but I was able to slide my tray past them and went on to the cashier.

Everything is self-service so I still needed to fetch glasses of water, utensils, napkins, and dipping sauces for the tempura. I found my husband sitting at a long, shared table next to a woman who was waiving madly at me. It turns out that she was my sister's friend whom I met at my book signing back in October. She recommended that we try the Curry Udon on our next visit. In fact, we ran into another friend while having lunch that day and he also recommended the Curry Udon. Although I visited Marukame three times so far, I haven't had anything but Paitan (white broth) because it is so incredibly yummy! You can taste the pork and chicken flavor that only comes from slow-simmering bones, the way soup is supposed to be made! My husband's chicken broth was also delicious with a fresh and hearty flavor despite the plain appearance of this dish (just noodles and broth). Our total bill was less than $14.

More recently, I picked up lunch from Marukame from their convenient take-out window. My lunch buddy wasn't able to make it so I ventured alone to satisfy my craving for Paitan Udon. I made it a point to arrive early to avoid the long lines that famously form daily during lunch time. Thank goodness for the take-out window as there was only one person in line ahead of me and only two other people waiting for their orders. In contrast, the line into the restaurant was 10-15 people deep and it was only 11:30. I placed my order through the opening in the glass window as the man standing on the other side repeated my order into a microphone. There was a display of tempura peering at me through the glass. I ordered my Paitan and added a potato croquette and fishcake tempura for a total bill of approximately $7.

I took my food back to my office in a neatly packed paper bag with sturdy handles. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the udon and broth were packed separately to prevent the noodles from soaking up all of the soup before I was ready to eat it. They forgot to give me a soup spoon but that didn't stop me from slurping up every drop.

Marukame Udon

Downtown Location:

1104 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI 96813

Phone: (808) 545-3000

Hours: Mon - Sat 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Paitan Udon with potato croquette, fishcake tempura, and fried chicken thigh.

Fresh house-made udon!

The menu

Fishcake and eggplant tempura and potato croquette

Shared dining space

Hot Cocoa

1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 Cup sugar

A pinch of salt

1/3 Cup boiling water

4 Cups warmed milk

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine the cocoa, sugar and salt in a sauce pan. Then stir in the boiling water. Simmer on low heat while stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the mixture.

2. Add the milk and stir to incorporate. Stir in the vanilla last. If the cocoa is not hot enough, simmer on low to avoid scalding the milk.

Makes 4 servings

Options: Top each mug of cocoa with whipped cream. I added french-pressed coffee to mine.

Mom's Party Mix

The measurements are very loose in this "recipe" for party mix. Package the finished product in small bags and give them away to coworkers, gym friends, or neighbors as a holiday treat.

Equal portions of the following cereals - about 2-3 cups (half box each):
--Corn Chex cereal
--Wheat Chex cereal
--Honey Comb cereal
--Cheerios cereal

2 Cups - Cheez-its (I used pepper jack flavor)
1 Cup - Pretzel sticks
1/2-3/4 Cup - Butter (1 and 1/2 sticks)
1-2 Tbs - Worchestershire sauce
1-2 Tbs - Siracha sauce
1 Tbs - Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
Up to 1 Cup - Sugar (start with 1/2 cup and taste to see if it needs more)

1. Add dry ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in the sugar, Worchestershire sauce, Siracha sauce, and garlic powder.
3. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, being careful not to break the pieces.
4. Pre-heat oven at 285 degrees. Pour mixture onto two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake on middle racks for 15 minutes. Stir gently and bake for 15 more minutes. Repeat. Total baking time is about 45 minutes or when the mixture is crispy. Be careful not to burn the party mix.

Cool thoroughly before storing in an air-tight container.